RWBY: The Heiress and The Maid
by TheDarkenedRose
Summary: [Many Thanks to dashingicecream for the art] Life for Weiss Schnee was forced. Her fate was sealed thanks to her father, but after an accident where one of the Schnee maids becomes fatally injured, he had no choice but to finally settle with hiring a faunus employee. Little did Weiss know that the faunus that her father hired would change her life... for better, AND for the worst.
1. A Quiet Hungering Night

**Hello you beautiful people of the RWBY fandom, this is TheDarkenedRose and I am FINALLY here to bring you another story. Yes, it's been over a year since I started Red Snowflakes and The Snowy Rose and I am just so glad to finally start another fic. This fanfic… will be a hell of a lot more different… and I will be going back to my dark roots of writing… and further darkening my writing style. You'll know what I mean when the time comes. Anyways, I hope you enjoy The Heiress and The Maid. :)**

 **If you have any questions about anything relating to this story or other stuff I've been up to, such as the collab story I'm working on with some great writers (It's known as Room 205), then PM me. I'll make sure to respond as soon as I can.**

 **Also many thanks to MartunaMajor for editing this chapter. You're a fucking editing wizard mate. :D**

* * *

The night was young, dark clouds moving through the sky as time dragged on ever so slowly. The only thing I could hear was the loud taps on my window as raindrops crashed into it, a loud bang of thunder sounding off in the distance outside as I watched. It felt peaceful… but it also induced a sense of loneliness, just like those days when snow would fall. After a while, I grew a sense of frustration and got out of bed slowly, my feet softly making contact with the cold, ebony wood flooring of my room. My long-white hair probably was a mess, something that would make anyone give me a look of disbelief. _I could hear their words already… how that would be inappropriate of me since I'm a Schnee._ I thought and sighed. My name is Weiss Schnee, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company… a burden that I never wanted. A burden that I'm forced to carry, since it's inevitable that I will take over for my father one day.

I made my way to the white framed mirror at the right side of my room, my mirrored image getting larger as I got closer to it, until it was looking directly into my eyes. My reflection was my only friend… well, except for my sister, but she had left a few years ago. I continued looking at my reflection with an emotionless expression. "You still look the same as ever." I said to her softly.

 _"Tired and Melancholic? Yes… it would apparently be a trend to those that see me… well… if they ever did see me."_ She replied, making me let out a sigh.

"I can see you… only me. Everyone can see me… but they can't see who I really am. I'm nothing more than some heiress, a girl that's part of a higher social class that takes everything for granted."

" _Don't say that… I know who you really are. And I can tell you that you're better than what they think."_

I gave a sad smile and picked up the hairbrush that sat on top of the dresser to the right of the mirror. I began to brush my hair in silence, ending my conversation with my reflective self. It may make me look insane if someone caught me talking to my reflection, but it helps calm me down; there's no one I can talk to here anymore. I sighed softly and put the hairbrush back on top of the dresser, taking a look at my hair again. There's no trace of bed hair, so I'm good to go. I went to the door and opened it slowly, noticing that the corridors were still lit with the lights on the ceiling.

"Father's still awake." I said softly and closed my bedroom door before heading for the staircase closeby. My home's interior consisted of different variations of stonework and wood; black and white variations of marble dominated the flooring on the first floor while in some areas of the manor, such as the corridors on the second and third floors, had ebony wood lining the hallways, some planks lighter than others to give a sort of variety on it than just a plain black look. The corridor itself was wide, allowing for different sorts of activities. The size would just seem unnecessary to most people, but when it came to large banquets or Atlas-wide celebrations, the corridors would end up almost completely crowded and inaccessible for people to walk through without having to put up a struggle.

* * *

The corridor opened up to the main room in the entirety of the manor; the lobby. It was an extravagant area where most of the celebrations are hosted at. The marble floor pattern consisted of a white and black color scheme while a gigantic logo of the Schnee Dust Company marked the flooring. I gave a sigh as I went down the staircase, gazing at it as I got lower and lower. My mother loved the logo despite its looks; she was a lover of winter and snow itself. I was the same in that regard, but the company logo was an exception. How the snowflake looked… it was neither sweet nor peaceful, it just seemed authoritative to me.

I lightly put a foot down on the marble flooring, shivering slightly at how cold it was. Atlas was known for many things, especially its winter seasons. It was the northernmost continent in Remnant, which must mean that everyone that lived here has built an immunity for the cold weather. But for me, I tended to shiver at times whenever I perceive an instant feeling of the freezing weather. I took a moment to get used to it before putting my other foot down, sighing softly in relief. _Alright, my father's probably expecting me already._ I thought and made my way through the large lobby towards my father's office.

The corridors downstairs were much more complicated to get through since there was so many paths to take, but after living here for my entire life, I've already mapped it out and took the shortest way to my father's, knocking lightly on the door when I arrived. "Father? May I come in?" I asked, waiting for a response afterwards. The door slowly opened a peek, telling me that I'm allowed to enter.

I opened the door fully and walked in, closing it behind me before stiffening when my father's voice was heard. "You're up late." He said, his voice gruff with a stressed tone. _Ugh, I hate how he wants me to sleep early._ In my father's words, as an heiress to the largest dust company in the world, I need to achieve the maximum amount of rest, but the time he wants me to go to bed was really absurd compared to most girls my age.

I turned to him and noticed he wasn't looking up at me. "But Father, it's only ten o'clock and… well, I was beginning to get hungry." I replied softly, making sure my voice didn't come off as harsh or irritated.

He sighed. "I guess that can't be helped. I'll give some of the maids a call to cook you so-"

"N-no, no, I can cook something up myself. There's no need to call for them, I'd rather not wake them and-"

I stopped when I noticed his expression turned to one of frustration. "The last thing I need to hear is of your injury while trying to cook like an incompetent little brat." I felt hurt by his comment and took a step back. _T-that's not true. I-I'm not incompetent._ I thought. I wish I was able to argue, but his look tells me to not go that far. "I will call some of the maids like I said earlier, and they will create something for you to dine on." He said, already going over to a large scroll that was mounted beside him for work purposes.

I frowned and looked down. "Y-yes, Father."

He sighed and pressed a few buttons on a scroll before speaking. "May those that are awake tend to cooking dinner for my daughter?" My father asked softly. He moved away from the scroll and back to me, since the maids knew that he would not need a response. "Well, you should get going to the dining room. Don't want to keep them waiting." He looked back down at the paperwork on his desktop and started to work on them.

I sighed and went towards the door that led out of the office, but before I turned the knob on it, I remembered to ask him something, and looked back at him. "Father? Have you… heard anything from Winter?"

His looks darkened, and he peered up from his paperwork at me again. "What about her?"

"W-well… I was wondering if she said anything about coming back for the Winter Break." I replied, twiddling my fingers.

He huffed. "I hope she doesn't."

"H-huh?" I gave a shocked look at my father. "B-but she hasn't been here in years. D-don't you miss her?" I asked, my voice becoming harsh. Winter was the only person whom I can argue about with my father. My older sister had left for the Atlas Academy a year ago, wanting no part in the legacy of my father's business. She would come back to visit though, but our father would make her stay a living hell, due to his arguing with her when he even so as make eye contact with her. She's the only person I can have the courage to argue about. She's my sister for god's sake, and I can't have our own father dissing her behind her back!

"Missing someone only turns into a weakness. There's no point in missing the one that decided to defy me and leave for her own selfish ambitions-"

"T-they weren't selfish!" I exclaimed, clenching my hands shakily in anger. "She wanted to do something meaningful, a-and-"

He spoke over me with a booming voice. "Then tell me why she left you!"

"I… she…" I fell silent, issuing my defeat to him. He always brought up that retort when we argued about Winter; the man would go on about why she didn't take me, saying that I would only be a nuisance and useless to her. It always hurt for him to spout those accusations at me, because I know that my sister didn't think of me as incapable, nor a nuisance.

No. She thought the opposite of that. He leaned back on his chair and sighed. "If you have nothing to say, then leave. The maids are awaiting you, and I've already wasted enough time with you, anyways." I gave a slow nod and went to the door, opening it and walking out.

I tried not to think about what he said, for I knew they were to just make me angry. Winter was not a terrible sister like he made her out to be; no, I knew far better than that. As I walked, I reminisced about my times with my older sister. Story Time, playing in the snow, taking care of me when I got sick or injured, those were the times that made me look up to her. I want to be able to take care of those that need it. The only problem for me, was that I don't have the ability to fight. During my years of growing up, Father and Mother, or people that they hired, protected me whenever I was under attack. I never had to draw a weapon, nor had I ever needed to shed an ounce of blood from another person or faunus.

 _I just hope it stays that way._

* * *

I made my way to the dining room, opening the gigantic double doors leading to it. It connected to the lobby, and it was just as extravagant as the lobby itself. Fancy chandeliers lined the ceiling from the large table in front of me, a couple of feet away, to the other end of the table, which in the eyes of those that come here, was a very long distance. The banquets my father hosts makes this place useful for the staggering amount of people that come here for them. The space around the table was vast, so there would be no problem with getting to a certain seat or side of the table itself.

As of now, only two of the chandeliers were lit up, since I was the only one dining at the table for tonight. I took the nearest seat, sitting down and noticing a classy dinner plate, white cloth napkin, and engraved silverware in front of me. I let out a sigh, knowing full well of the ones that had done this. _They don't need to baby me like my father wants them to._ I thought and sighed again.

A moment later, I heard footsteps getting louder as the seconds go by before noticing a medium-sized black ceramic bowl land on top of the plate. A pair of hands pulled away from the bowl, and I turned to look behind me to see two maids. One of them looked as if they were in their mid-thirties, having long, black hair that seemed as if it was straightened. The other was slightly younger, late-twenties I believe, having short, red hair that barely touched her shoulders. I recognized them both immediately and gave a smile. "Good evening, Grace," I said to the red-haired woman before turning to the other, "and good evening to you, Amythyst." I finished.

They both smiled back and bowed slightly. "Good evening to you, Miss Schnee." They replied in unison.

I chuckled and shook my head. "There's no need to be formal when I'm the only one around.

"Our apologies, Weiss. We're just used to being so formal with your father that it carries over to you." Grace replied and giggled. After she and Amythyst straightened themselves, she gave me a curious expression. "So why are you awake at this time of night, Weiss?"

I let out a sigh. _Curious as usual, Grace._ I thought and looked up at the clock that was hanging on the wall to my right. "Well… in my opinion, the night's still young, and-" as if on cue, my stomach gurgled due to my hunger, "I don't want to sleep on an empty stomach."

Amythyst chuckled. "Well then, I'm glad Grace and I were awake then to serve you. What would you like?" She asked.

I thought for a moment and took a look at the large double doors, making sure of one thing. _I don't think he would come in; It's too late for him to even think about eating._ Looking back at Amythyst, I twiddled my fingers nervously. "W-well… I would like a steak with white rice, if you do not mind?" I answered, earning a sigh from her and Grace. One of the many things that my father doesn't want for me, it was eating a large quantity of meat. A small amount was enough for me in his eyes, but on nights like these, I needed something that could fill me right up.

It did scare the maids though, since my father would snap at them should he see them do such a thing. "Give us a moment, it'll be out before you know it." Grace answered.

"It's a good thing that It's late for your father to even think about having a light snacking." Amythyst added, ending our talk as they turned and made their way to the kitchen. I let out a soft sigh before looking back at the dinnerware I was given. The small bowl they had put down earlier contained salad with pieces of chicken inside it. Despite my hunger wanting me to forget table manners and devour it, I kept my composure and took the napkin, putting it down on my lap before grabbing a fork and beginning to eat the salad.

* * *

A couple of minutes passed; an empty bowl sat in front of me. _They're taking much longer than usual to prepare a steak for me._ I thought and sighed with a hint of impatience. As if it were on cue, a plate longer than the one on the table rested on top of it, a well done steak with white rice underneath it steamed on the platter, and a godlike aroma emitted from it. I raised my fork and knife and started eating it as if an animal has taken over my body.

A voice spoke up as I maniacally ate. "Weiss Schnee, calm down before you choke on your food." I stopped and looked back, noticing an irritated Amythyst standing there. "Your hunger may have overtaken you, but that does not mean to forget your table manners and eat like a pig."

I sighed and regained my composure. "I apologize, Amythyst; you always were the one who sets me straight." I replied and chuckled before going back to eating the steak in a more formal manner.

I could hear more footsteps, noticing the two maids taking a seat. "So, did you two hear that they're hiring a new maid?" Grace said, curiosity present in her voice.

"Really? I didn't hear anything about that, and I get updates from Mr. Schnee almost every day. Do you know who the new person will be?" Amythyst asked, clearly interested in the manner.

"Well… I heard that it's a faunus." The red-haired woman answered. My eyes widened and she immediately noticed. "Pretty crazy, right? Don't you think that's risky? I mean, it's been a while since the White Fang attacked us, but what if this faunus is secretly affiliated with them, or-"

Amythyst raised her hand, signaling Grace to stop. "For one, we do not know this person yet. It's not a good idea to judge someone by past events."

"B-but-"

"Grace, what if I judged you by your age and claimed you to be unfit for this job?" Amythyst asked. This put Grace in a total silence, making the black-haired woman sigh. "Look, we won't know until we get to know the faunus. Who knows, maybe she's a great person to be with." She said.

I finished the steak, putting down my silverware before picking the napkin up and cleaning my mouth with it. A moment later, I put it down and turned my head to Amythyst who was sitting beside me. "I don't know, Amythyst. Even though it's been a while since they had tried to attack my family, I just can't stop feeling this sort of uneasiness about the new maid." I said, making her turn to me with a frown.

"I see… well, I can understand your uneasiness, but let's not make this a way for us to stay away from the faunus. Like I said, there's no way of knowing until we meet her."

I sighed. "We'll see…" I looked up at the clock and noticed the amount of time that had passed; I got up, "well, it's getting late, you two. I'll be heading back to my room, after I clean this plate and bowl." I said and proceeded to picking up the large platter and bowl, but was stopped by Amythyst.

"You don't need to worry about that, Weiss. Grace and I can clean them for you, and-"

I shook my head. "You've both been up longer than I have today, plus I can't just let you two and the rest of the maids baby me, despite what my father says." I noticed Grace was about to interject, but I smiled, stopping her. "You both earned a nice rest; please, I can take care of this. And I certainly don't want my two favorite maids to be falling asleep on the job tomorrow."

Amythyst let out a sigh, but I noticed her cracking a smile. "Well, when you put it that way… okay then. We won't try to intervene; we didn't want to make it seem as if we think you don't know what you're doing. We trust you enough to do whatever you please." she said and looked at Grace. "Well, let's go back to our rooms, Grace. We need our nights rest for the next day."

Grace nodded and followed her towards the exit. They both looked back at me, waving a hand to gesture their farewell for the night. "Sleep well, okay?" The red-haired woman said as they opened the door, and walked out.

"I'll try." I said and made my way to the kitchen to wash the platter and bowl. As I went there, I couldn't help but think about the new maid that Grace had mentioned previously. _Father may be doing this so the press can get off his back about his business practices with the faunus race. I just hope he's actually trying to improve the way he is._ I thought. _Then again… I'm almost in the same boat as him. I don't hate faunus, but I feel as if I need to be cautious and wary of them._

Let's just hope this maid isn't someone that's secretly from the White Fang, or else we're all going to be in danger.

* * *

 **Holy shit. I am super rusty at writing. This took me the entire time after that Extra for Red Snowflakes to write. I'm glad that I'm finished with it and it's ready to be posted to you guys. I hope you guys enjoy this story as the chapters get posted; it's going to be one of those experimental phases again (just like The Blackening Rose) so I'll be doing some crazy dark shit that you guys might feel or hate me for. xD**

 **Anyways, another reason for my month's absence is the fact that I'm part of a collab group, involving NobleMETA, GhostPhoenix113, angelsixtwofive, BurningPeace, ShadowNightblade, Phoenix Commander, and many more. The fanfic we're writing is known as Room 205 and it's already a few chapters in, but it's not too late to pick up on it. You can find that on Noble's FF account.**


	2. Departure

**Hello once again! Rose here with yet another chapter to this fanfic! Before I let you read this, I'm pretty surprised by the response I was given for the first chapter; I'm glad you guys are anticipating the coming chapters. I'll do my best to make sure this story's awesome, even if it's my first time doing Monochrome. This is also the first story where I ACTUALLY plan the chapters… yep, no more improvising… okay it's 99% planned. We got to have at least 1% improvisation… okay now I might just be lying to myself. Alright, enough of me, here's Chapter 2. This time around, we'll be in the perspective of a certain faunus we all know of.**

 **Also, Please leave a review telling me what you think of this chapter and the story so far. I would love feedback from you guys so I can do much better. :)**

 **Oh, and credit to GhostPhoenix113 for writing the combat scene at the beginning of this chapter; I owe you so much, mate…**

* * *

Everything was dark; the only thing I could hear was the sound of my heavy breathing as it echoed. Then, as if someone uncovered my eyes, I realized that I could feel my own body… but that wasn't the thing that was making me afraid. I was running in a forest, the trees and ground stained with white snow. My memories were blurred. I was being chased, but by who, I could not be sure. All I knew was that I had to run, to get away as fast as I could.

The woods began to grow complex, having to dodge out of the way of incoming trees so I wouldn't injure myself. Despite the increase in difficulty of the landscape, I could tell that my pursuer was not far behind. I wish I could look to see who the pursuer was, but I didn't want to trip or run into a tree; my life's at stake, for Remnant's sake!

I made it to a clearing, noticing that the path ahead of me was blocked by boulders that scaled to a ridiculous height. _No, no, no, I can't be trapped like this! Whoever's behind me is going to kill me if I don't find another way._ I panicked, thinking of solutions to get out of this situation. I felt the threat behind me grow closer, making me turn back and brace for whatever it throws at me. I waited, thinking that letting my guard down would only let whoever was out there take advantage and attack, but there was only silence; the only thing making any audible noise would be the rustling of the leaves on the trees.

I began to feel uneasy, slowly moving back towards the boulders while keeping my eyes on the woods in front of me. That was when I tripped and fell back, slamming the back of my head against the cold boulders and disorientating me. It was a stupid mistake that should have never been made, but it happened nonetheless. My breathing began to grow heavy once again as I tried desperately to see clearly, but my sight was making things all too blurry to comprehend anything.

My faunus heritage proved useful, my cat ears twitching at the sound of snow crunching in the distance. It got louder, and louder, then in front of me, I saw a black blur slowly getting bigger, and I couldn't tell whether or not it was a person, or creature of Grimm… well, until I heard the evil chuckling from it. I gasped when I suddenly heard it speak. "I thought you would be done running, but you're still the coward I once knew, Blake Belladonna."

The bow at the top of my head moved slightly and I grew confused at what it said. "H-huh? Y-you know me? B-but how-"

My vision began to clear, and my eyes widened in fear at who it was. It was all too familiar… the kind of familiarity that you thought would be best not to indulge in and forget you ever thought it; it was a bull faunus that had short red hair, wore a black trench coat, and had a half-mask on that resembled a grimm by its aesthetic design. The one thing that struck me most was the menacing stare he had while walking towards me. Now I remember… and I knew that I had to run.

I ran between the trees, ducking to the side as I approached a clearing, leaving behind a clone as I vanished. He grinned slightly as he watched my shadow run into the opening. He drew his weapon and fired three shots in quick succession. Each bullet hit the clone, and it vanished into thin air. I dashed from behind my cover and drew Gambol Shroud, firing four shots of my own at him. He deflected the first three with his sword, but the fourth found its mark, striking his aura. He staggered backwards and looked at me, the evil gleam in his eyes hidden behind the mask.

He ran towards me and brought his sword down. I quickly switched Gambol Shroud into its blade form and parried the blow, striking out from below with the bladed scabbard. He parried the slash with his own scabbard before hitting me in the head with the pommel of his sword. I staggered backward and turned to run again, sending a clone running in the other direction. Before I could get anywhere, however, he grabbed me and threw me against a tree, causing me to lose focus on the clone, and it dissipated. I recovered just in time to see him coming in to make another attack. I parried his sword away and jabbed at him with the tip of the blade. He parried the blow easily and made another stab at me. I rolled out of the way, leaving a clone in my place and leapt up behind him.

I slashed downwards at his back, hoping to catch him off guard, but he turned just in time to deflect my blow with his sword. As I came around for another attack, a foot struck me in the chest, pushing me away. I jumped out of the blow and regained my balance, though I knew there was no way I could win. For a last ditch effort to flee, I quickly focused my mind on creating as many clones as I possibly could, sending them each running in a different direction before I ran in another. He didn't even bother attempting to chase me. Just as I thought, I was safe. That was until I heard a sole gunshot ring out through the forest, and a single bullet pierced my weakened aura and tore through my knee, sending me tumbling to the ground with a scream. I tried to stand again, but as soon as I put any weight onto my wounded knee, I fell to the ground again. I lay there, clutching my knee in pain as I heard footsteps coming through the forest towards me.

I opened my eyes and there he was again, staring at me from behind that mask. He brought his sword over his head, and with a cruel laugh, brought it down. I felt it stab into my abdomen, and I cried out. He twisted the blade in the wound, and I cried out once more from the pain. He released his grip on the blade, and simply stood there and watched as I felt my life slowly leave my body. I closed my eyes as I fell unconscious.

* * *

I felt a jolt of life inside me, making my eyes snap back open, and I quickly sat up with a sharp gasp. I took a moment to look at my surroundings as I tried to calm myself, and I realized that I was back in a familiar place. The room was painted a nice rose red on one side of the room while the other side, the one side I'm at, was painted gold to help with the black accents that were present all around the room itself. I let out a shaky sigh and buried my face in the palms of my hands with misery. "I-it was just a dream. Blake; get it together." I said softly to myself, trembling at how harsh the dream was.

The dream felt real… too real. I wanted to forget the source of the dreams I'm being given, but there's always something that makes me remember. It's like life wants me to just keep feeling miserable. I hugged myself and heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" I asked, raising my voice to make sure that the person knocking heard me.

A nervous and child-like voice responded. "It's me; u-ummm breakfast is ready so come downstairs when you can."

"I-I'll be down in a bit, I just need to change." I replied. It was a half truth; I would rather stay in bed than head downstairs, but then I forgot that today was a special day… well, sort of. I took a moment to calm down and relax; I can't head downstairs in the state I'm in. Slowly, I moved myself so I could place my feet on the dark wood flooring below the bed. I shivered slightly, realizing that it was cold.

 _I can't keep forgetting that it's the middle of winter, or else I'm going to walk outside one day with nothing but a t-shirt and shorts._ I thought and groaned in annoyance. I waited a moment so I could get used to the cold ground and stood up, making my way to the dark oak wood dresser that was a couple of feet away from me and a few inches from the door. Opening the three drawers that were there, I realized that I didn't have much to wear in terms of my early day attire, but then I thought that it would be pointless to change anyways since I would need to do the same action much later. _I guess then all I need to do is head downstairs, then._

I let out a sigh and went to the door that was the same type of wood as the dresser beside it, turning the fancy, chrome lever that was there, and opened it slowly before walking out onto the second floor hallway of the home I was staying in. I looked around, remembering just how similar the halls were to the room I was just in, except for the fact that the wall color was jet-black, and picture frames were on display to ensure that the place didn't feel so empty. I sighed softly as I went towards the staircase, making my descent towards the first floor. How long have I lived here for? It must have been three years since I moved in due to a past event that forced my life into a downward spiral.

How can I forget about that? Actually, I can't; the memories of 'that day' are forever burned into my mind that I can make a poem, telling every detail of how disastrous and depressing it was. I realized what I was doing and stopped before I could make myself feel worse, making it down the stairs after the thoughts went away.

* * *

I heard voices in the dining room and made my way there, noticing two familiar faces as I walked in. The first one I made eye contact with was Ruby Rose, a red-haired girl that was just two years below me, her age being seventeen years. She sported a black hoodie with red-striping on the sleeves, a red rose logo was imprinted on the right breast of the hoodie. She told me it represented the word Scatter. She was the one that called for me earlier when I awoke from my nightmare.

The second person was a long blonde-haired girl named Yang Xiao Long. She was sitting next to Ruby and was wearing a black flannel with a yellow trench coat over it. The coat also included a hoodie in case she ever needed it, but it never gets used, since she uses a black beanie at times to warm her head up.

Ruby spoke up with a cheerful greeting. "Morning, Blake!"

 _Just for her sake Blake; put up a smile._ I thought and did a small nod before forcing a smile to my lips. "Morning little red. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded. "I needed the rest so much after training all day, yesterday. How about you?"

I sighed softly. "It… could have been better." I answered, trying my best not to think about the nightmare.

"Oh… well, I think you'll rest better today than last night."

I chuckled. "Thanks Ruby," I looked towards Yang and gave her a curious look,"what about you, Yang?" I asked.

She answered with a shrug and a sigh of exhaustion. "Same as you… well sort of. It could have been better, but in my case, I'll change that last part to A LOT better." I was about to ask why she said it that way, but she waved a hand and shook her head. "I don't even want to explain, Blake. I just need to drink some coffee." She got up and lifted a finger, indicating she had an idea that was already known due to her need of caffeine. "Speaking of coffee, I'll go make some, right now." With that, Yang Xiao Long left to the kitchen to brew her wakeup call.

Ruby yawned softly and turned to me. "So when did you two wake up?" I asked, curiosity beaming in my voice.

"Well… mom woke up early this morning since they both had to leave for another mission, so Yang and I got up to make breakfast for them while they got ready. You missed them five, ten minutes ago?" she replied, sighing softly. "It would have been better if they stayed for today… you are leaving for god knows how long?"

I noticed a frown appearing on her lips, making me do the same. The special day was my departure from everyone that I've lived with for the past four years. I would be moving in with the family of THE biggest dust company in all of Remnant, the Schnee's. Starting today in just an hour or two, I would be gone and on my way. A letter was sent to me a month back; due to my mother's history with the owners of the company, they saw me fit to start living and working for them… if I accepted of course.

At first, I was skeptical of the letter due to past events that made me feel cautious when I'm sent messages, whether it be an email, or in this case, a letter.. Summer and Raven, Ruby and Yang's mothers that are world-class huntresses, called the Schnee Dust Company directly, making sure that the letter was indeed genuine before I made my decision. Apparently, it was legitimate and that I needed to answer as soon as possible.

It was a seriously hard decision, since I would be leaving everyone that I saw as my new family, behind. I wanted to stay, but Ruby, Yang, and their mothers' pushed me to go through with it after some time that I had the letter. And so I'm here, talking to the red-haired huntress to be about my departure to the Schnee's. I stopped thinking for a moment, realizing what Ruby had said, which made my expression darken.

* * *

"Rubes, you do know that I might never come back… right?" I asked, a sad tone replacing my curiosity.

A whimper was heard, noticing her trembling and looking down, probably to hide the tears that may be coming down from her eyes. "I-I know, I-I just wanted to assure myself that I might see you again." she replied, sighing shakily.

"But you will see me again… I just won't be around all the time, anymore, since I'm going to be living with the Schnees." I assured, a smile creeping onto my lips.

She looked at me with confusion. "I'll see you again? B-but how? I-I thought they don't allow visitors."

I shook my head and ruffled her hair, playfully. "But you're the daughter of two of the most renowned huntresses, the world of Remnant has ever seen. Don't you remember them checking the letter that was sent to me? They contacted the owner of the Schnee Dust Company, personally. If they can do that, then I'm sure they'll be able to convince him to let you and your big sis visit me."

"Y-you think so?" She looked up at me, tear-stricken but completely innocent eyes gazing at my own pair of eyes.

"Yeah, and if one day he won't let you visit, then I'll make sure to come back here to Patch to spend time with you and Yang."

I used my thumb on my right hand to wipe a tear that slid down her right cheek, noticing a smile that I've grown accustomed to since I saw it for the first time, four years ago. "O-okay… I'll make sure that I visit you as much as I can." I pulled my thumb away and she swiftly wrapped her arms around me. "I'm not letting go of my sister… ever."

My eyes widened. "S-sister?" I asked, surprised by the sudden title she gave me.

She looked up at me and smiled. "Y-yeah… Yang and I think of you as our sister, since you've been so nice and fun to be with. You helped us out so much when we needed it. I-I still remember the time when I was depressed… and you went out of your way to spend your own lien to buy cookie dough, and make cookies for me."

Tears started to flood my eyes. "R-Ruby…" I returned the hug and sobbed softly, "I-I'll miss those days of being with you and Yang. I will never forget our times together." I knew that this would happen, making it be deemed the hardest part of my departure. Saying goodbye to the family I've grown very close to. I love them so much… and I wish I didn't have to let them go like this.

I know that they could come and see me, but it's going to be much more different than seeing them twenty-four-seven. There's going to be no consoling a crying Ruby Rose who woke from a nightmare, no cruising around Patch and Vale with a carefree Yang Xiao Long, and there's not going to be anymore game nights and trips with the entire family. W-when I move away, I won't be able to do those things anymore.

I buried my head into her shoulder, trembling as I thought about the things that I won't be a part of when I leave. I felt her caressing my hair with one of her hands, sighing softly. "Hey… don't say that; you're making it sound like we'll never see each other again. You told me that we can visit you… so don't think that we'll make those visits boring. We'll make sure they're fun and awesome!"

I pulled away and nodded. "You better promise me that, Ruby Rose." I replied, brushing my tears away.

She held out her right hand, her pinky extending towards me. "I think promising won't be enough, I'll pinky swear to that."

I couldn't help but giggle. "Why am I not surprised by that? That's just so _you,_ Ruby." I extended my pinky and wrapped it around her pinky, noticing her doing the same. "Okay, then a pinky swear it is."

Ruby smiled and we shook our pinkies, as if we were doing a handshake. "Then I, Ruby Rose, will make sure that our visits are something that you look forward to."

I smiled back, but then I suddenly caught a scent of caffeine, turning towards the kitchen to see Yang walking out with a tray that contained three black mugs and a clear pot of coffee that was nearly filled to the brim, enough so any movement won't cause some of the liquid to spill out. "So I heard that we're going to make our visits badass so that Blake doesn't get bored at the Schnees. I did hear they're strict so let's make sure that we don't get kicked out on our very first visit, please?" she stated, chuckling softly at the last bit of words she let out.

I sighed. "I hope that you both do… that's the last thing I want to see, really." Yang sat down beside Ruby, placing the tray in the center of the table near us so we can easily grab our coffee mugs. After that, we began to make small talk, giving ourselves a recap of our favorite times since I was here, while drinking the coffee. Time passed by, the three of us not even noticing until we heard a loud honk from a vehicle, coming from the outside. My frown returned. "I… I guess that's for me."

They tensed, putting down their coffee mugs; I could notice that they're trying to keep their composure as they got up. "W-well… you should probably get your bags, don't want to leave without any spare clothes." Ruby said, her voice cracking.

"Y-yeah… we'll just wait by the door while you do that." Yang added, the two walking away after saying that.

* * *

I sighed and got up, putting down my coffee mug on the tray and slowly making my way back upstairs. _I forgot to pack my clothes._ I thought, groaning at the thought of having to pack. _I'm going to have to be quick; who knows if the driver's impatient?_ A few moments later, I opened the door to my room and almost instantaneously, I gasped at the sight of two black and red luggage bags on my bed, ready to go. "H-how…" I went to the bags slowly, zipping them open and seeing them filled with my clothes, "who packed my clothes?"

I heard two sets of footsteps behind me, and I quickly turned around to see two familiar faces, faces that I thought I wouldn't see again until they visit me. The two people that stood near the door was one Summer Rose and Raven Rose. "Did you really think we wouldn't stay to watch your departure?" The raven-haired woman asked, chuckling softly.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Summer added, both of them smiling.

Once more, tears fell from my eyes as I rushed towards them without thinking, leaping into their arms. "I-I'm so glad to see you two, right now." I said, my voice coming off as soft and relieved.

They caressed my hair gently, making me purr when they gently scratched my cat ears. "We're glad to see you, too. I… I wish you could stay, Blake." Raven said; I noticed she was trying her best to keep her tears in.

"M-me too… but you know that my leave's for the best." I replied, trembling after the words fled my breath.

Summer sighed softly. "We know… but we'll always think of your as our third daughter. You have done so much for Ruby and Yang… and we really appreciate it." She pecked my forehead and smiled. "You'll always be our kitten."

I nodded. "T-thank you… for letting me call this place home for the past four years. I… I don't know where I would be if… i-if-..."

They both shushed me. "There's no need to think about that, now. Let's send you off on a good note."

I gave a nod, pulling away from them and sighing softly. "I… I think I'm going to need help with those bags." I said softly.

"Don't worry, we'll take them down for you. You just go down and meet up with Ruby and Yang, we'll be there in a bit." Raven replied, giving me her signature grin, similar to Yang's. _Ruby and Yang did take a lot from her parents._ I thought, smiling to myself before walking out, heading downstairs and making my way to the front door. The door opened for me, and I noticed a cheerful Yang and Ruby standing on both sides of the doorway, the blonde being the one holding the door open for me.

"I'm guessing you met mom upstairs?" Ruby asked.

I nodded and smiled. "That was a nice surprise you two gave me."

"We figured you would forget something and we knew that we were going to need something to make us all happy when you leave, so we planned that." She chuckled and I sighed.

"Forgetting something at the day of my departure's just terrible. I just hope I don't do the same when I work at Schnee manor." I said, scratching the back of my head nervously.

"You won't… I'm sure of it." Ruby said, giving me a confident grin.

I ruffled her hair again. "Thanks, Ruby; you just know how to reassure me."

"I do my best."

I looked ahead and noticed an ice white limousine parked a couple of feet away from the house. The driver's door opened and I noticed the chauffeur getting out; he came off as attractive to me, making me blush as he glanced at me, and he went towards the door closest to the straight pathway that led to the house, standing there when he got to it. I gulped with nervousness, but composed myself quickly, since Ruby and Yang were with me, side-by-side. A few minutes later, we heard footsteps behind us, and we looked back to see Summer and Raven with my luggage on the ground behind them.

Looking at the bags, I noticed that they had wheels on bottom of it, and a handle to make moving them easier. _How convenient._ I thought, sighing softly. Well… this is it." I said, trying to keep my composure for the others. We walked towards the limousine, Summer and Raven heading to the back of it to load the bags into the trunk. When they finished, they went back to us and stood behind Yang and Ruby. "I… I hope you all visit me sometime soon." I smiled sadly, waiting for their response.

I was met with a large hug from the four of them. "We'll be sure to do so. You'll always be a Rose in our eyes, Blake."

After a moment, they pulled away and I stepped into the limousine, the chauffeur closing it as I sat down. I pressed a button to make the window roll down and I heard the man start walking back to the driver's seat. I looked at the people that I called family for the past four years, and I waved goodbye. They did the same and after seconds had passed, the limousine slowly took off. I rolled up the window and I let the tears I had bottled in, flow out from my eyes.

* * *

 **So… I had to sit down for about three hours tonight, and finish writing this. Basically, I can thank Shadow Nightblade for that, since he "held me captive" so I can finish writing this chapter. It's been a while and I feel relieved to have finally finished this chapter. A lot of shit has happened since I was gone, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Also, I've been doing some stuff while I was away, like setting up a Twitch channel for us writers that write Room205, and I went to RTX once again. I've been busy, but I want to at least write a couple of chapters of this story before Summer's End.**

 **Also, keep an eye out for something pretty cool. I'm planning on remaking my first story just to see how it is in my… "updated" writing style. Alright, that's enough from me. I will see you all later, and as always, Stay Classy. :)**


	3. Update: This Isn't What it Used to Be

So here we are... I want to finish what I started or have yet to finish these past few years, but the show itself with how it continues to decline in quality, it's affecting me so much that I just can't seem to write a word for my fics. A lot of people expressed wanting to leave the fandom after the latest episode of RWBY... some I've known since I've started writing RWBY fics 5 years ago. It kills me to see the rest of the people I become friends with these past years depart from this show and community... they have posted amazing things and have made significant impacts on the RWBY fandom with their content.

But now even they say that the show isn't good anymore, what with how the fight scenes are terrible, the story is littered with continuity errors and how they use constant shock factor to keep people glued to the screen. Not only that, but the way they propel development with characters with LOSS is stupid and unnecessary. Especially in the way this episode of RWBY (Volume 5, Episode 11 just in case anyone later on sees this) did.

And it's not only the show and the departure of great friends (writer's that I like to call the OG of the RWBY fandom, in which they've been here since the start of Volume 1) that kills me, the community with how they are now kills me, too.

I remember when theories and "what if..." scenarios were the most talked about in the RWBY fandom, but the difference with "then" to "now" is that back then, those were all welcome and happily talked/debated about until the sun went down for the day. I see more posts that end up being turned into a shitting fest for the original poster than something being civilly debated or talked about. And NOT only that, but for those that actually gave criticism of the show (along with posting proof and stuff to backup their shit) get decimated by others blindly defending the episode they talked about or even insulting the poster for trying to point it out.

So that's what I've been thinking since the start of this volume. I was on a hell of a good roll for writing my chapters during my time I was gone (was trying to get a stockpile going so I'm consistent for once), but with how things are going, I just can't help but stop and see what I hear in these next few episodes after Episode 11.

If what happened before the CLIFFHANGER actually causes a death... I'm done. I'm tired of the bullshit RT has been doing for the past two volumes. I just... fuck... It's so hard to not be so angry at them. What they have done for this story... there's nothing unique about RWBY, anymore. It's a cliched mess.


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